The Properties of Caramel Flavor
Caramel has always been popular, but right now it holds a special place in the market for its widespread use in “luxury” goods, including confectionery products and a host of other delicious treats. Caramel flavor is not difficult to recreate, and there are a number of flavor ingredients available to create it, including Advanced Biotech’s Natural Ethyl Pyruvate, Natural Caramel Furanone, and Synthetic Ethyl Maltol, among others. What is more difficult is choosing the right caramel flavor ingredient for the right product. The properties of caramel (and caramel flavor) can differ broadly depending on the product that it is being used to create.
In general, caramel is available in three different forms. It can be hard – what is sometimes referred to as “grained”, it can be a soft caramel, such as the kind that may be used to cover apples and other fruits, or it can be a flowing caramel, such as that used for the centers of hollow chocolate candies. In each of these cases, a different type of caramel flavor ingredient might be used.
This largely depends on the other ingredients that are going into the creation of the caramel. Further factors to consider are the other flavor notes that might appear in the caramel that is being created. Caramel can be almost buttery, with characteristics similar to butterscotch candy or flavoring, or it can be creamy and contain notes of dairy. Certain types of caramel are known to be flavored with products such as condensed milk, or even dairy milk, so companies should take this into consideration when they are choosing their caramel flavor ingredients, as well.
Many different products rely on caramel for their creation. A good portion of these are in the confectionery industry. While caramel candies are primarily caramel, flavorists can use caramel flavor ingredients to enhance their flavor as well as to ensure that each batch has a consistent – and delicious – caramel flavor. Caramel flavor ingredients can also be used to add caramel notes to chocolates or to create the flowing caramel at the centers of chocolate bars and chocolate pieces.
Outside of the confectionery industry, caramel flavor ingredients are commonly used in the creation of delicious snack food products. Caramel is often drizzled over popcorn to create a delicious sweet-and-salty snack food product. A number of other snack food companies capitalizing on this trend have also begun to use caramel flavoring to enhance their products. Caramel is also widely used in the creation of ice creams, frozen yogurts, and gelatos. Caramel is also one of the most popular ice cream toppings. Caramel flavor can help a company create a delicious and tasty addition to their favorite treat.
There are a number of other products that use caramel flavor ingredients as well. Cake frosting, batters, and even products such as gourmet cocoa and coffee (as well as gourmet coffee creamers) all use caramel flavor ingredients in the creation of delicious specialty products. Caramel has become a key ingredient in the flavor industry, and for good reason. It is a luxurious, delicious, and still somewhat simple flavor that virtually anyone can enjoy.